CVE-2017-7972 in PowerSCADA Anywhere
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability exists in Schneider Electric's PowerSCADA Anywhere v1.0 redistributed with PowerSCADA Expert v8.1 and PowerSCADA Expert v8.2 and Citect Anywhere version 1.0 that allows the ability to escape out of remote PowerSCADA Anywhere applications and launch other processes.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7972 represents a critical security flaw in Schneider Electric's PowerSCADA Anywhere software ecosystem, which includes versions redistributed with PowerSCADA Expert v8.1 and v8.2, as well as Citect Anywhere version 1.0. This vulnerability exposes a fundamental design weakness in the remote application execution framework that governs how these industrial control system components handle user input and process management. The flaw specifically enables unauthorized users to escape the confines of the intended remote application environment, effectively breaking out of the sandboxed execution context that should normally restrict user interactions to predefined application boundaries. This represents a significant compromise in the security architecture that protects critical infrastructure systems from potentially malicious actors who might exploit this weakness to gain broader system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and process isolation mechanisms within the PowerSCADA Anywhere remote execution environment. When users interact with the remote applications through the Anywhere interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or restrict the execution context that allows arbitrary command injection or process spawning. This weakness directly maps to CWE-78, which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands, and CWE-74, which addresses injection flaws in the use of special elements in commands. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to manipulate the underlying execution environment through specially crafted inputs that bypass normal application boundaries, enabling the launching of unauthorized processes that could potentially execute with elevated privileges or access system resources beyond what is normally permitted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of industrial control systems that rely on these remote access capabilities. Organizations deploying PowerSCADA Expert or Citect Anywhere solutions become vulnerable to attackers who can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code on the target systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise or disruption of critical operations. The attack surface becomes significantly expanded since the vulnerability allows for process execution beyond the intended application scope, creating opportunities for lateral movement within network segments and potential access to other connected systems. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter, and T1068, which addresses exploit for privilege escalation, making it particularly dangerous for operational technology environments where system integrity and availability are paramount.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7972 should focus on immediate remediation through official patches provided by Schneider Electric, as well as implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable systems. Organizations should disable or restrict remote access capabilities until proper updates are deployed, and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous process execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network-level controls including firewall rules and access control lists should be configured to restrict communication to only necessary ports and protocols, while also implementing robust input validation at all network boundaries. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of PowerSCADA Anywhere and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure and criticality of the affected systems within their operational technology environments.